Jackson Chourio went from an unranked prospect, to #1 overall in just a year

In the spring of 2022, Jackson Chourio wasn’t on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100. He wasn’t even a top-5 prospect in the Brewers’ own system. He was their 10th-best.

That summer, at 18, he hit .324 with 12 homers in 62 games at Low-A Carolina and won the league MVP. He finished the year with 20 home runs and was the youngest player at every level he played. By August, Baseball America had him as the No. 2 prospect in baseball.

The Brewers’ Tom Flanagan put it best: “To go from not even on the fringes of the Top 100 to top of the list a year later is insane.”

In April 2023, Baseball America made him the No. 1 prospect in the sport. He was the first Brewer ever to sit at No. 1 on a major list. He was hitting .249 at Double-A by midseason, then went to work and finished with 22 homers and 43 steals. Baseball America found he was only the fourth teenager in 60 seasons to go 20 and 40.

Then, on December 4, 2023, Milwaukee gave a 19-year-old with zero big league at-bats an eight-year, $82 million contract. No player without major league experience had ever gotten more.

His reaction: “This decision was to secure my future. Now I can play easy and play without that pressure, and bring the best.”

He’s been playing easy ever since. Now he’s leading off in the World Series.

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